I am starting a 69 Nova, 4 cylinder, 3 speed in Garnet Red. Here is the body, and the basic engine block after cutting and reassembly. I removed the #1 and #5 cylinders. I am using the Trumpeter 63 Nova 6 cylinder as the base engine.

Cool model! That's one I though to do, but never got around to! So it will be fun to watch the build. I've never seen a 4 cylinder Nova in person (other than the 1980s Toyota built Novas) but I understand they were marketed as fleet vehicles, and not all that successfully. Gas was cheap and nobody really cared back in those days.

When I was in high school in 1976, the local gas and electric utility sold off a bunch of '66 Nova 2 door sedans, but with 6 cylinder automatics. Bare bones cars, rubber floor mats, no radio, manual steering and brakes. They were all painted gold, but dulled out due to years of never being washed or waxed. My friend Carlos bought one for $75. They sold a lot of them so you'd see them around town. In short order we figured out they were all on a fleet key, so my friends would see one in a parking lot, use Carlos' key and move the car to a different spot.

When my dad was looking for a new car in late 1968/early 1969, he drove a 4-cylinder Nova. NO power at all! And that screwy Hy-Drive transmission- a P/G with the automatic shifting removed, yeah...not a lot of fun. He ended up getting a leftover '68 Charger with a 318/automatic. I think that's his favorite car of everything he's owned still.

A friend of mine in high school in the '80s actually owned a '69 four-banger Nova, and I have NEVER seen one since. You could outrun it with a bicycle. As I recall, whatever optional equipment might have been available for a Nova would definitely not have been ordered by someone who wanted cheap (and I mean CHEAP!) wheels like this. Very cool project idea.

4 cylinder '69 Nova, Now I'll be sure to watch this build.....I've been thinking about doing the same project.....I just have to find the '63 Nova kit for the 6 to use....What color is that on the body?